Mineral King Lab, Tulare Local Healthcare District's forensic laboratory, will reopen on Monday.

Services at the county's lone toxicology lab were ended following the closure of Tulare Regional Medical Center last fall.

Mineral King is a full-service toxicology lab providing services to law enforcement as well as employment and industrial testing for pre-employment screening and on the job injuries.

"We serve mostly law enforcement and other hospitals," said Matt Chapman, the lab's operations manager. The lab also services Sierra View District Hospital in Porterville.
The lab does forensic alcohol and drug testing.

Other lab's services include:

Laboratory test.

Collection of specimens.

Medical review officer services.

Recordkeeping.

"When I heard Mineral King Lab was opening, it was good news," said David Alavezos, Tulare County assistant district attorney. "We have been using that lab for as long as I can remember."

Stephen Harrell, a hospital board member, agreed.

"It's good news," he said. "I am glad to hear it. It will be great for law enforcement in Tulare County."

The closure of the lab caused concern for local law enforcement.

After learning of the closure, Tulare County Sheriff's Department retrieved all evidence from the laboratory, which processes DUI-related blood sampling.

The department has been using Central Valley Toxicology out of Clovis. The samples that were untested were transferred from Mineral King Laboratory to the Clovis lab, said Teresa Douglass, sheriff's department spokeswoman.

"We had communications with MKL in advance and made arrangements accordingly," said Douglass. "None of our cases were delayed or compromised as a result of the closure. We are simply changing vendors due to the fact that MKL is not available."

Harrell, a retired police lieutenant, said cases such as drunken driving or assaults require the collection of samples and testing them.

Alavezos said testifying to the results is also part of the prosecution.

"We had one place. We sent them subpoenas," he said. "We had a good relationship. You knew the personnel. You knew how to get hold of them."

Mineral King Lab, 888 E. Merritt Ave., closed on Oct. 28, when Healthcare Conglomerate Associates was still administering Tulare hospital. The employees lost their jobs and the lab was closed. The forensic lab is not part of the hospital's medical license and is still licensed by the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Dr. Jue-Rong Zhang is the lab's medical director.

The forensic lab is opening after hospital administrators contacted customers about bringing back their business to the Tulare lab, got the lab's equipment tested and certificated and hired personnel.

To start, the forensic lab will have six employees. Chapman said he hopes to hire at least two more as time goes on.

The employees previously worked at the hospital.

"I've been running all over the county to get customers back," Chapman said.

Kevin Northcraft, the hospital board's chairman, said the forensic lab's reopening indicates progress in the effort to reopen the Tulare hospital.

"It's an indication we're getting there," he said.

The forensic lab reopening also means an additional revenue source for the district, Northcraft said.